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Journalism of Courage
Five days after the Harmanpreet Kaur-led Indian women’s cricket team lifted the World Cup with a win over South Africa in Mumbai, celebrations continued in Mohali on Friday as all-rounder Amanjot Kaur and batter Harleen Deol returned home to a reception marked by dhol, dance and families holding back tears. The victory, historic for Indian women’s cricket, found its most emotional echoes in the reunion between daughters who had been away on national duty and families who had followed every over as if the tournament were happening in their own homes.
By 8 am, the Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport was already buzzing. Three-year-old Parnaaz Kaur, wearing a custom-made T-shirt with her aunt Amanjot’s photo, held the national flag almost as tightly as she held her father Parminder Singh’s hand. “Amanjot bua trophy jeet ke aayi hai. Mainu chocolate vi milegi,” she said, smiling each time someone asked why she was excited.
A few steps away, six-year-old Amber and four-year-old Tejas awaited their aunt Harleen Deol. Their parents had spent the previous night decorating a tractor and an SUV with posters of the Indian team. Neighbours joined early. The celebrations had no fixed start time and the families did not seem to need one.
There was also tension. Bhupinder Singh, Amanjot’s father, a carpenter and contractor, checked his phone repeatedly. His mother, Bhagwanti Kaur, was hospitalised and waiting to see her granddaughter. Yet, as flags waved and children shouted the players’ names, his voice steadied. “India nu jeet ke aayi hai kudiyan. Biji theek ho jandi te oh sab ton waddi khushi hoyegi,” he said.
Harleen Deol’s parents, Charanjit Kaur and B S Deol, danced to the dhol as their neighbours gathered. The celebration paused briefly when a police official informed them that the flight had been delayed because of an air traffic control issue in Delhi. “Chalo, wait v hor sahi,” her father said, continuing to welcome visitors with folded hands.
Among those at the airport was coach Nagesh Gupta, who first spotted Amanjot’s talent as a schoolgirl in Sector 32. “What more can a coach want than to see his ward return with a World Cup medal,” he said, speaking softly as cameras turned toward him. Dronacharya awardee Jiwantjot Singh Teja and former junior world boxing champion Mandeep Sandhu were also waiting to catch a glimpse of the medal. “Punjab’s daughters have shown what is possible when opportunity meets belief,” Sandhu said.
A long wait and then the moment
More than three hours later, Amanjot and Harleen walked out. Amanjot touched her grandfather’s feet before hugging her siblings. Harleen was wrapped in her mother’s arms as her elder brother, Dr Manjot Singh, tried unsuccessfully to hold back tears.
Security staff guided the players toward open-top SUVs waiting outside, while the crowd grew louder. “It feels like the whole of Punjab is here,” Harleen said. “To return home with this medal and into these arms is overwhelming.”
In the second SUV, Amanjot called out to her coach and asked him to stand beside her. “This medal is as much his as mine,” she said. “Families and coaches are the foundation of our journey.”
As the cavalcade moved towards Mohali, even traffic personnel paused to film the moment. At Deol’s home in Sector 80, neighbours had been waiting for hours. Asked about the turning point of the final, Harleen pointed to one moment. “Amanjot’s catch of Laura Wolvaardt. That was when we believed it was ours.”
She also laughed about her widely shared exchange with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Yes, I asked him about his skincare routine. He smiled and responded. He has always encouraged the women’s team.”
A hospital visit before celebration
Before reaching home, Amanjot went straight to the hospital to meet her grandmother. “Amanjot is like oxygen for her and she is oxygen for Amanjot,” her father said. “Seeing each other today is the real victory.”
When she later returned home, even the catering staff at the neighbourhood park paused their work to request selfies. Amanjot, with her dog Laxie in her lap, spoke again about the catch. “The Prime Minister mentioned Surya Kumar Yadav’s catch in the T20 final last year. That felt special.”
Outside, her mother Ranjit Kaur joined relatives for a short dance before heading back to the hospital. “It is my mother-in-law’s blessings that have brought Amanjot here,” she said.
And finally, Parnaaz got her chocolates. “Bua chocolates nahi bhuldi,” she declared, smiling through a face full of chocolate.
In Mohali, celebrations were not about spectacle. They were about love, pride and the joy of a home that waited.
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